As Creekview running back Isaiah Rodgers helped lead the Grizzlies’ offense Friday, his teammates on defense played a large role in the Grizzlies’ rout of North Springs. Creekview forced eight turnovers and wrapped up another subregion title.
Staff photo by Samantha M. Shal

CANTON — Isaiah Rodgers totaled 144 yards of offense, while Creekview’s defense forced eight turnovers — two of which were returned for touchdowns — in a 52-7 rout of North Springs on Friday.

The Region 7AAAAA (A) victory gave first-year coach Terry Crowder an unblemished subregion record heading into next week’s play-in game against Sprayberry.

“I’m just pleased that it didn’t come down to the last drive this week,” Crowder said. “We finally got a break and played good the entire game.”

It was just the second time of the season, Creekview (7-2, 5-0) had won a game by more than one possession.

Both defensive touchdowns

were scored by junior Chandler Wold. Wold already had a 29-yard interception return for a score when he jumped on a Tyler Reid pass in his own end zone and strung out a 99-yard touchdown in the third

quarter.

The Grizzlies’ defense totaled six interceptions in the game and recovered two of the four fumbles it forced.

“We may be leading the state in interceptions,” Crowder said. “We’ve got 21 interceptions, and I think we’ve returned eight or nine for touchdowns. Everywhere I’ve been, we haven’t had a defense like that, so that’s impressive.”

While Wold, who also scored on a 5-yard touchdown run, has built a strong reputation over the past few seasons, sophomore quarterback Kyle Wilkie made some history of his own.

Wilkie struggled on the night, going just 9-of-21 for 99 yards and an interception, but with 7:48 remaining in the second quarter, he completed a 5-yard pass that gave him Creekview’s single-season passing mark. He now has 1,806 yards on the season,

For Wilkie and Crowder, the success has come through a seamless coaching and quarterbacking transition.

“For us to be in this position right now with a sophomore quarterback, a new offense, a new defense — it’s a testament to coach Morrell and the job that he did before me,” Crowder said, referring to the program’s founding coach, Al Morrell, who retired from public-school teaching following the 2012 season and is now coaching at Fellowship Christian school in Roswell.

“There wasn’t a whole lot of things I had to do. Now, we just need to continue what we’re doing. This is a great place to be.”

Wilkie’s milestone might have been overshadowed by his elder at the position.

Senior quarterback Hunter Wingfield, an offseason transfer from Cherokee who tore his ACL over the summer, finally saw the field again when he entered the game in the second quarter and threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Connor Dulmage.

Just like last year, Creekview will take the subregion title into the play-in game, this time coming at home next Friday against Sprayberry (2-7), which squeaked its way into a No. 4 seed with its win over Osborne.

The Grizzlies will have the benefit of home-field advantage, which wasn’t afforded to them when they almost lost the play-in game last year in triple overtime against Riverwood.

“The play-in game scares me to death,” Crowder said. “For us to have to play a team that’s 2-7 and we’re 7-2, and if they beat us, they get to go (to the playoffs), I just don’t understand that, but we’ve got to do it.”

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